When Great Falls businessman Cody Vukasin got into the MMA fight game a few years ago, it wasn’t for the long haul.

“It was something that was on my bucket list,” he said. “I thought I’d try it one time.”

Now he’s making a haul, all right.

Vukasin, 31, who owns Cody’s Cars in Great Falls, last Saturday won the second Intense Cage Fighting state championship of his young and impressive MMA fighting career. The 2005 C.M. Russell High graduate knocked out previously unbeaten Josh Whaley of Billings in the first round of the scheduled three-rounder as a large crowd at Pacific Steel and Recycling Four Seasons Arena roared its approval.

“The guy called me out,” Vukasin said, referring to the reigning ICF heavyweight (206 pounds and above) champion, Koby Jeffers of Billings. “He called me out and I kindly accepted. Yes I did.”

Vukasin said his next fight would be on an upcoming ICF card; there are bouts slated in Great Falls in July and August, the latter of which is at Centene Stadium.

Vukasin played a little basketball during his high school at CMR. Now that he’s got a taste of the MMA game, he’s excited about the future.

What exactly does he like about the sport?

“You know, I guess I enjoy a lot of things about it,” he said. “Meeting new people, all the traveling and training, the workouts – and the fact it incorporates aspects of wrestling to jiu-jitsu to boxing. I like a lot about it.”

Vukasin said he never really considered making a career out of MMA. Now that he’s 10-3 with one no-decision as an amateur, he said a jump to the professional ranks is a possibility.

And that seemed most unlikely a few years ago.

“I never really considered myself a fighter,” he said. “But after the first fight I liked it so much I decided to keep going. I’m not even sure right now (about his MMA future). I probably have enough fights to turn pro. But right now I’m just enjoying my win from last Saturday.”

Vukasin has trained in Phoenix at the MMA Lab, which is where veteran fighters from Great Falls such as Tim Welch and Frank Ramsey also work out regularly.

“I try to stay smart about my training and try not to abuse myself too much,” he said with a laugh.

Soon he figures to soon be back in the gym – and the cage.

“It’s an adrenaline rush for sure,” Vukasin said. “The crowd, the lights – it’s a feeling I’ve never had before. It’s scary but pretty exciting at the same time.”